The present invention is embodied in a simplified method and apparatus for covering panels of cardboard, fiberboard, or other stiff material with cloth, plastic coated paper and the like to make book covers, bound sample covers, luggage panels, artist's canvas board, and a variety of similar products. At the present time, the manufacturing of covered panels of the above types involves either hand folding of the edge portions of adhesive coated covering sheets or the use of automatic equipment which requires a large amount of set-up time. In the automatic equipment, the edges of the covering material are turned over by means of twisted belts and the corner tucks are produced by mechanical wheels. The long set-up time is required to condition the automatic machine for a large production run of a certain size panel. The set-up procedure is expensive and cannot be justified economically for a small production order or run but only for large runs. By contrast, the greatly simplified method and apparatus of the present invention is equally suitable for small and large production runs and requires no expensive set-up prior to operation and is able to process a wide range of panel thicknesses and sizes within a given size limit of the machine.
The apparatus of the invention is fast in operation and has the ability to compensate for slight deviations in the path of travel of panels and covering sheet material through the machine or press. This compensating ability is obtained through the use of independently hinged weighted cover material turning or folding plate segments held on a common shaft in the press at each successive level of the press.
The corner tucking wheels of the more complicated prior art machines are entirely dispensed with by the use of simple stiff brushes at each level of the press which serve the dual purpose of pressing down the folded over edge portions of the covering sheet and neatly tucking in the opposite ends of each folded over portion in snug relationship to the advancing parallel edges of the panel.
The following prior art United States patents of some general interest relative to the present invention are made of record herein under 37 C.F.R. 1.56:
______________________________________ 1,691,691 1,950,550 1,794,521 2,749,967 1,838,464 2,925,612 4,115,179. ______________________________________